The Last Banquet
by Canned.Laughter
Summary: There is a new student at Ouran. Her name is Sohma Kana, and she doesn't seem to remember much. Meanwhile, the Sohma clan struggles with an ancient bond. And Honda Tohru has disappeared. Told from both Haruhi and Momiji's points of view.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hello! This is Canned Laughter!

After six years, I am back. It's nice to see you all again. :) I just graduated with my MA actually, and am biding my time until moving to Tokyo to start work. During this time I've been actually re-living a lot of my old hobbies, including my love for 'Fruits Basket' and 'Ouran'.

This idea came to me in the middle of the night, after an evening spent re-reading all of my old favorite fanfiction. And I thought to myself, 'why not'?

Without further ado…the beginning.

##

**Prologue**

##

A long time ago, there once lived a man, all by himself, high up on a mountain. He was a man who had the strength of one thousand men, who had lived the lives of one thousand men, and who was simply _different_ from others.

He chose to be alone. He was afraid of other people. He was afraid of getting hurt.

To this man, a cat came.

The cat bowed his head and said, "I have been following you for some time. You have a most unusual aura, and I cannot help but be drawn to you. I realize I am but a stray cat, but won't you please let me stay by your side?"

"Please, 'God'."

And so the cat never left the man's side.

This made God so very happy, that he decided to have a banquet.

He wrote out many invitations. In return, twelve animals arrived to see him.

The thirteen animals and God had a banquet each night at moonlight, singing and dancing, and laughing with each other. For the first time, God laughed out loud.

However, after some time, the cat collapsed. His life had come to its end, and there was nothing they could do.

Every one of them cried. Every one of them realized, that eventually everyone would die. The banquet would end.

No matter how fun it was. No matter how much you love them.

Then, God cast one spell. He drew a circle in a bowl of water with his finger. He had the cat take a sip. Then he turned to everyone else and said, "Let us make our friendship last for eternity."

"Even when we die, let us be bound by our friendship for eternity. No matter how many times we die, no matter how many times we are reborn…let us have another banquet. Everyone getting along for all time."

_"Let us be in eternal bliss."_

Everyone nodded in agreement. The rat took the first sip. Then the ox, the tiger, and the rabbit. The water was divided equally among the animals.

At last, when the last drop was gone, the cat began to gasp.

"God, God, why did you make me drink that?"

_"I do not want eternity."_

"God, God, even though you are frightened, let us accept that all things end. Even though it is sad, let us accept that life ends."

"God, even though it was just for a short time, I was happy being by your side. If I were to be reborn, the next time, rather than in the moonlight, I want to see you smile in the sunlight. The next time I meet you, I want to see you laughing, surrounded by people."

And for the last time the cat raised his tail and died peacefully.

…But none of the animals cared about the cat anymore.

After that day, one by one, they all died. Even the day came that God died too.

However, he was not afraid, because his promise to everyone reassured him.

"We will have a banquet again. Once again. Many times. Always."

_"Unchanging."_

##

Now this was a story from a time long ago. It is the first memory that everyone has forgotten. The first promise. The first banquet.

The following story is of _the last._

##

It was the first day back from summer vacation at Ouran High School. Class 2-A was abuzz with classmates eager to share epic tales of beaches on tiny private islands, shopping in Paris, and yacht rides along the Caribbean.

Haruhi jogged into the classroom, slightly out of breath. Did she make it? Dark chocolate hair in slight disarray, the second-year scholarship student quickly glanced around for any sign of the homeroom instructor. With no adult in sight, she sighed in relief.

She had only just set her bag down at her desk before two identical voices, louder than the surrounding din, called out to her.

"Haruhi! Haruhi!"

Long and lean, the Hiitachin twins stole up to Haruhi and slung lazy arms over her shoulders. Kaoru grinned down at her as Hikaru cocked his head, his shock of black hair tickling Haruhi's cheek.

"You're late!" They chimed, with practiced symmetry.

Haruhi frowned. "What? Kaneyama-sensei isn't here yet, right?"

"But you usually come-" Kaoru began.

"-Ten minutes before the bell even rings!" Hikaru finished.

"Oh, well," Haruhi shrugged their arms off, to weak protests, "I ran in to Tamaki in the hallway. You know." Her cheeks tinged, slightly, pink.

Hikaru's reaction was immediate.

"EWWWWW-! Haruhi, that's gross, I don't want to hear about your lovey-dovey scenes!" He pushed himself off of Haruhi's desk, flinging a hand to his forehead dramatically. "That idiot waited for you at the front entrance, didn't he? He was probably like _'Haruhi, welcome back to school! Haruhi, I've missed you even though we saw each other every day this break! Haruhi, feed me and pet me and let me shower you with affection!'_"

"Hikaru s-stop, stop, my stomach hurts!" Kaoru clutched on to Haruhi's arm, gasping with laughter.

Haruhi's rosy cheeks turned a deep cherry color. "Hey! I-It wasn't like that! He didn't- he wouldn't-Mou…Hikaru! Stop that!" She puffed up in righteous anger. Yes, Tamaki could be a handful…she honestly didn't know some days how their relationship has lasted this long…but still!

The trio spent a few minutes in pandemonium, Haruhi trying to swipe at a dancing Hikaru, with Kaoru close at her heels.

When they finally calmed down, Kaoru perked up.

"Ne, Haruhi, did you hear the news? There's a transfer student today!"

"Mm? Really? But, it's the middle of the year…" Haruhi sat down, tired already despite it only being first period.

Kaoru smiled as he took his seat to the left of Haruhi. "I heard it's a new girl from a really powerful family."

"This is 2-A," Hikaru sat down to Haruhi's right, scoffing, "Everyone is from a powerful family." He grinned. "Except for you Haruhi."

"Yeah, except you Haruhi."

"Thanks guys." The emotion in Haruhi's voice was almost non-existent.

At that moment, their homeroom teacher came bustling in. He was a short, squat man, with a receding hairline and thick owlish glasses.

The twins snickered, Hikaru leaning over to whisper in Haruhi's ear. "You'd think with his salary here he'd at least get hair implants."

"Shush!" Haruhi smacked Hikaru away, frowning. Though not the most fashionable faculty member at Ouran, Kaneyama-sensei was nice, which was more than Haruhi could say about the instructors that all the D classes were assigned.

"Okay, okay, settle down everyone!" Kaneyama-sensei took out a handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead. "Sorry for the delay, I had to go fetch our new addition today. I assume you all heard the news?"

"I told you!" Kaoru hissed from her left. Haruhi refrained from smacking him too. Excited murmurs began spilling from every desk, filling every corner of the room.

However, ignorant of the buzz that had grown since his announcement, Kaneyama-sensei simply tucked his handkerchief away and gestured toward the classroom door. "She's a bit shy, so let's all give her a warm welcome, shall we? Come in, come in Sohma-san!"

If possible, the atmosphere in the room became even more animated.

_"Did he say 'Sohma'?"_

_"No…can't be. 'Sohma'? Really?"_

Haruhi looked around the room at all the whispers. What was that about 'Sohma'? She made a note to herself to ask Hikaru and Kaoru about it later. The air shifted around her as all her classmates eagerly leaned forward in their desks. Haruhi turned her attention back to the classroom door.

For a second, there was silence. Haruhi fidgeted in her seat.

Then came a soft shuffling noise as the door slid open. A girl came hesitantly in to the room.

She was petite. Her soft brown eyes glanced around nervously from a slightly bowed head as she timidly made her way to the front of the room. She had long brown hair to match her eyes, a lacey maroon ribbon tying part of it back as the rest fell around her shoulder in a straight sheet. Her hands were clasped politely in front of her when she came to stand next to the teacher's desk.

"Alright, alright, settle down everyone. Let's give her a chance to introduce herself." Kaneyama-sensei smiled encouragingly towards the transfer student, "Go on, Sohma-san."

Haruhi watched as the new girl slowly scanned the room. She took a deep breath, and then smiled with a slight tremble. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Ano, I am Sohma…Kana. It is a pleasure to meet you all. Please regard me kindly."

She bowed so low, Haruhi was afraid she might stumble forwards.

##

**A/N:** The prose is a bit...dry! Sorry!

If you hadn't noticed, the beginning was drafted from the ending fable in 'Fruits Basket'. I think my writing style for the rest of the prologue matched with the direct nature of that fable. I'll try harder to be more eloquent in future chapters.^^

Thoughts would be much appreciated! I feel my writing is probably very rusty.


	2. One: Of Disappearances and Appearances

**A/N:** Hello! Welcome to the first chapter of 'The Last Banquet'~

I was thinking today of why I chose to cross 'Ouran' and 'Furuba'. I had done it once before too. It seems to be a crossover pair that I like very much.

I believe it has something to do with how complementary the two series are to each other. There are a lot of similarities between characters and personalities, as many people have already pointed out in their own crossovers. But, not only that, I feel that the two stories balance each other out well. While 'Ouran' is light-hearted, with a dash of drama, 'Furuba' is heavy (especially towards the end), with a dash of light.

This particular fic, 'The Last Banquet', is a 'what if' scenario. It takes place after chapter 116 of the 'Furuba' manga – which was when Momiji was freed from the Sohma curse and had a conversation with Akito about it – and after the 'Ouran' series has completely finished. Though…I'm ignoring the whole 'Haruhi and the rest of the host club goes to American to study abroad' bit^^

Basically, I wondered 'what if' Akito handled things a little differently, after Momiji was released. If she hadn't obtained enlightenment like she had in the manga, and went on the road to redemption. If she instead spiraled a little farther down into darkness.

So, the 'Furuba' parts of this fic are probably dramatic. And full of angst. But, because I don't want this to turn into a sob story, I felt that having the 'Ouran' cast around might keep the whole project from turning into one gigantic pit of despair. Because, really, who wants to read that?

Anyways. I don't mean to ramble. Those were just my thoughts when I trid to figure out why I like these two series together so much! Enjoy this chapter. :)

##

**Chapter One: Of Disappearances and Appearances**

##

"Who is that?"

"Waaaa~ what a handsome boy!"

"Do we have foreign exchange students here?"

"I didn't know that…"

"No, didn't you know?"

"Know what?"

"It's him!"

"Him?"

"That Sohma boy…"

"What? Sohma Momiji?"

"No way!"

"Can't be!"

"He's so tall!"

"So handsome…"

"The Sohma boys sure are beautiful, ne."

"Ne!"

"Ne!"

"So beautiful!"

##

"They're talking about you Momiji."

"Hmm?"

Momiji stopped with a bemused smile, and scanned the hallway. There were only a handful of students left now that club activities had started up for the afternoon. Two boys to his right were leaning against the wall, debating the merits of spending an afternoon at karaoke versus the game center. A nervous first-year passed by him clutching a stack of books. A gang of boys heading to the field in gym gear were laughing and tossing a soccer ball amongst each other.

He spotted a group of third-year girls in the distance, giggling and glancing in his direction. He didn't recognize them. But clearly they knew him, for the minute his eyes met the tallest girl, the one with jet black hair tied back in a low ponytail, she squeaked. All four girls in the group hurried away down the hall with furiously red cheeks.

Momiji's smile brightened. "Seems like a lively conversation!"

It was the first day back at Kaibara High School, and it seemed that everywhere he went, he was followed by the amazed whispers of students around him.

Haru, standing to Momiji's right, lazily gazed in the direction the gaggle of girls had disappeared down. There was a small frown on his face. But that was hardly unusual – the ox's somber personality balanced well with Momiji's bright one.

"You grew a lot over the break. Maybe you'll start getting love letters in your shoebox soon."

Momiji laughed to himself, tilting his head amiably. "That'd be nice!"

He really did think that. It _would_ be nice to receive one…love letters were so happy. And hopeful.

It was hard to be hopeful these days.

"Oi! Sohma!"

Another second-year came running up to Momiji and Haru. Momiji knew him vaguely as one of the secretaries on the student council. Sakuragi…Naohito, was it? They weren't in the same class, but Momiji had seen him on patrol with Yuki before. Back when Yuki was still here.

Behind Sakuragi came that third-year boy, the vice president. Momiji couldn't remember his name. His hands were behind his head, and he was idly whistling the Kaibara school bell chime. While Nao came bustling up to the two Sohma second-years with a look of irritation on his face, the vice president in contrast looked like the epitome of relaxation.

Haru looked at the pair with blank eyes. "Ah, Sakuragi-san. Manabe-senpai."

Manabe. That was it.

"Yo!" Manabe Kakeru grinned at the two Sohma boys, and waved one hand in greeting. "We're looking for Yun-Yun. You haven't seen him around, have you?"

Sakuragi scowled. "He's late to student council."

Ah. This was troublesome.

"Looking for Yuki? Ara, didn't the principal tell you?" Momiji pouted playfully, placing a hand delicately to his cheek. He was good at playing innocent. But he felt cold inside. And he didn't think his smile reached his eyes.

Sakuragi didn't notice. Though Manabe-senpai cocked his head and stared hard enough at Momiji that the half-German began to sweat.

"Tell us what? Is Yun-Yun sick today?"

Momiji sighed inwardly with relief when Haru answered instead.

"He transferred."

"WHAT?" Sakuragi's eyebrows shot straight to his hairline. It was pretty impressive. "What do you mean, transferred? To where?"

"None of your business."

"Sohma!"

Sakuragi raised a finger in indignant anger, but before he could start ranting, Manabe-senpai cut him off. "Yun-Yun transferred? You sure? The principal didn't say anything to us."

Momiji clutched his hands together behind his back, rocking forward on his heels. He made sure his smile was cheerful.

"Perhaps he forgot? It was a last minute decision… Yuki didn't want to. I think he was very sorry to leave!"

"If he didn't want to go, then why did he? He's our leader!" Manabe-senpai scratched his head in confusion. His frown had deepened.

"Maa…the head of our family ne…he's very powerful!" Momiji kept his tone light. Airy. "No one can refuse him if he commands something."

"Momiji, we should go."

Momiji turned to see Haru walking towards the shoeboxes. The rabbit understood. They shouldn't be talking about this with outsiders. Akito would get mad.

Momiji didn't quite care anymore about Akito's feelings…over the summer break Momiji had come to terms with the release of his curse, and Akito's past hold on him seemed like a distant memory. But Akito's anger would affect the other Juunishi. And Momiji definitely didn't want that.

"Hai! Wait up, Haru!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on, you can't just leave!" Sakuragi shouted down the hall after the ox and the rabbit, as Momiji ran to catch up to Haru.

"Sorry Sakuragi! Hope you find a new president soon!"

"Hey! Sohma!"

Momiji didn't slow down. But he did look back, just for a second. He saw Sakuragi furiously stamping his foot. The boy was clearly frustrated. Momiji felt a little bad about that.

Manabe-senpai was calm. He stared Momiji down, that frown still on his face.

##

Haru was silent as they walked down the road from Kaibara. Momiji sighed.

"Sorry Haru. I know I shouldn't have said that much."

Haru didn't look at Momiji, but his eyes were kind.

"Just don't do it again."

Outsiders had no business knowing about Akito and his demands. Momiji knew that. But this was the first time someone from Kaibara had confronted him about Yuki's disappearance, and he hadn't known how to respond. Who would believe the truth?

'_Yuki is actually confined to a room at the main house. He's not allowed to leave for any reason.'_

Outsiders didn't understand the notion of not having free will. Momiji was only recently beginning to see the difference between his life as a human, and his life as a Juunishi. They weren't the same thing. And those who had never been bound by the Sohma curse would never understand why Yuki would be held in a room for no reason other than trying to protect someone he cared about.

For a second, a glimpse of Tohru's smiling face flashed in Momiji's mind.

"Ne…Haru."

"Nn?"

"Where do you think…Tohru is?"

Momiji waited expectantly, looking at Haru as they walked. But Haru didn't say anything.

The rabbit tried again. "Do you think she's…hurt? Somewhere?"

"No. Yuki said Hatori took care of her."

"But, where? In a hospital? Which one?"

Momiji almost ran into Haru's shoulder when the taller boy stopped suddenly. Haru turned to look at Momiji, his stare still blank.

"It's best if you don't ask too much. You know Akito doesn't like it."

"But…"

Haru turned away and started walking again. "If Akito finds out, he'll just take his anger out on someone."

He didn't say it, but Momiji knew what Haru was thinking about. _Rin._

Rin escaped the Cat's house though. Kureno helped her. She's staying with Shishou, safe and sound. It was Kyo who lived in that house now. No visitors allowed…only Akito. And the maid who brought food.

Momiji jogged to catch up to Haru. "Who else was there? Just Yuki and Kyo?"

"Sensei too."

"Ehh~ Shigure was there? Has he been confined too?"

"No idea. I think he disappeared somewhere."

"Is that so…"

Clutching at the straps of his bunny backpack, Momiji looked down at the ground while he thought. He didn't want to press Haru for too many details…Haru didn't seem comfortable talking. He was probably worried that Yuki would get hurt in the process if they pried too much. And he didn't even know what had happened that day either; he had been with Rin at Shishou's at the time.

All they knew was that something happened, right after school got out for summer break. Tohru had been summoned to the main house by Akito.

And now…she was gone. Yuki was sent back to the room he grew up in, and told not to leave it. But his situation was at least a little better than Kyo, who had been banished to the Cat's house, earlier than expected. No one had spoken to him since that day.

Yuki said, the last time Momiji visited, that Hatori had erased Tohru's memory.

Only her memory though? Momiji wondered.

If only Tohru's memory of the Sohma was erased, then she would still be at Kaibara. Momiji wouldn't have been able to talk to her, but he would have at least been able to see her. Akito could have given him that much.

Another vision flashed in Momiji's mind. A laughing Tohru, welcoming him to Shigure's place with an apron on and dinner on the table.

Something inside of Momiji hurt, a lot.

Over the break, Momiji had even gone so far as to visit Tohru's grandfather's house. He hadn't knocked…that would have definitely raised suspicions. But he had waited outside, watching Tohru's grandfather and relatives come and go. Tohru hadn't been there either.

Something occurred to the rabbit then.

"Haru."

The taller boy kept walking. "…What."

Momiji scratched at his cheek, indecisive. "If…if Tohru isn't around, wouldn't Uotani-senpai and Hanajima-senpai be worried?"

"…Probably."

"So…why didn't they ask us today? Only Sakuragi and Manabe-senpai came."

Surely if Uotani-senpai had thought something was amiss, she would blame the Sohmas somehow. Especially considering Yuki and Kyo were also missing.

"I think Hatori ran in to them when he came last week to turn in the transfer papers."

"Oh."

"Momiji." Haru stopped at a crosswalk. He turned to Momiji and looked at him. Hard. "I think it's better if you don't ask any more questions."

"But-"

"No…people can get hurt."

Momiji looked down. He clenched his fists.

'_People were already hurt!'_ He wanted to yell. _'Someone should do something!'_

But he hadn't told Haru that his curse had been released…that he was free to do whatever he wanted. He didn't know what Haru would say.

What could Haru say?

'_Congratulations! If only mine were broken too!'_

The real Haru wouldn't say that. The real Haru wouldn't say anything probably. He was too kind to be bitter. But he was too cursed to be happy. Momiji knew that he couldn't tell Haru anything. Even though this was something that they had all dreamed of.

The real Haru took Momiji's silence as reluctant agreement, and nodded his head to himself. He smiled at Momiji. It was a gentle smile, like all of Haru's smiles to those he worried about.

"I'm going to see Rin. You want to come?"

Momiji wanted to tell him to stop smiling. To save those gentle smiles for when they had to go to Kaibara again tomorrow, and face a suspicious Manabe-senpai. He wasn't sure if he had the strength to lie about that again.

"No. I'm going home. Tell her 'hi' for me though!'

"Mm. See you then."

"Ja ne!"

The two of them parted ways, Momiji heading down the direction towards the main house. He thought to himself that it was good no one was around. Otherwise he would be too worried about lightening the mood, and being his normal bubbly self. When all he really wanted to do was yell at someone.

'_I'm hurting! Where's Tohru? Why aren't you going to do anything? Don't smile at me! I'm hurting!'_

##

The library at Ouran High School was impressive, as far as libraries went. Spanning the length of a whole wing, and covering three floors, it contained every novel, manuscript, reference material, or tome that a student at the school could possibly desire for their studies.

Mainly, though, students went there to socialize after class. It was also usually pretty loud.

Though filled with mindless chatter, which was one of the reasons why Haruhi stumbled upon Music Room 3 and the host club in the first place, the scholarship student still liked to go there right after class to browse the shelves before heading to club activities. She was normally late, and got scolded by Kyoya often, but Haruhi didn't really care. She relished her time alone among the classics.

Except for this particular afternoon.

"Haruhiiiii~ Haruhiiiii~ why are we even here? This is boring!"

They just _had_ to follow her after class.

"You didn't have to come! Don't you two normally wander off somewhere to torment Tamaki or someone else?" As guilty as she felt throwing her boyfriend under the bus, Haruhi _needed_ her time away from them. Just for one hour before host club, that's all that she asked!

"But we wanted to talk to you today! About the new girl!" Hikaru whined. He was leaning against a tall bookcase filled with old American classics that looked as if they hadn't been touched in a century. When Hikaru pushed off the shelf to follow Haruhi down the aisle, clouds of dust exploded from the row of novels.

"A-choo! Hikaru!" Haruhi waved her hand in front of her face to get rid of the billows of gray, and glowered at the older Hiitachin. "Mou, be careful! These books are valuable."

Kaoru grinned. "Yeah, so valuable that no one's touched them in ages. Man, can you believe so much dust even exists in one place?"

While the two twins snickered over the grime, Haruhi pondered Hikaru's comment.

"Ne, why was everyone so worked up this morning? Is 'Sohma' very important?"

"Yeah," Hikaru dusted off his shoulders and sidled alongside Haruhi as the trio wandered down another aisle, "They're one of the most powerful families in Japan. They got a hand in all the major industries here, and then some."

Kaoru came up behind them. "Very secretive though. They have a head of the family, but no one has seen what he or she looks like. Don't even know a name. Supposedly this person is very young." Having picked up a book off one of the shelves, he began flipping through it as they walked.

"Oh…so is that why everyone was all excited? Because the Sohma family is a major deal?"

"Well, that, and because they're such a mystery. I heard they're such a big family, that they have an 'inside' and 'outside'. We had a few kids from the 'outside' at our school a long time ago, I think."

"I heard the 'inside' kids usually go to private schools with very exclusive populations. Even more expensive than Ouran." Hikaru ran his finger along one shelf, and examined the dirt that came off it.

He grinned, wiping his finger across Haruhi's cheek before she could protest. "No commoners there at all. Not even scholarship students. Those kind of schools only take a certain pedigree, or higher."

"Hey!" Haruhi grumbled, wiping her cheek with the back of her blue sleeve. She still preferred the male uniform, despite the rest of Ouran knowing that she was a girl. It was much easier to move in, and wasn't nearly as sickeningly bright as the female version.

No one seemed to really care what uniform Haruhi wore. They were probably too used to seeing her in the blue blazer anyways. And, to her mild surprise, she still received a steady stream of clients at the host club. Though Tamaki had paid off her debt last year, Haruhi had sort of grown used to host life.

Plus, the host club was like family to her. Albeit a really annoying (sometimes), disgustingly rich, one.

Swiping at Hikaru's hand, which continued to pester her with dirt, Haruhi attempted to continue the conversation.

"So the Sohma are really rich. And old. Is the transfer student from the 'inside' or 'outside'?"

Hikaru looked at Kaoru. Kaoru looked at Hikaru.

They both shrugged. "No idea!"

At Haruhi's disgruntled look, Kaoru laughed. "Everyone was probably just excited because we've never had a Sohma in our class before. The last Sohma to pass through Ouran graduated ages ago. Before we even entered middle school."

Hikaru nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I wonder why she's here."

"Timid thing isn't she?"

"Doesn't seem very bright either."

"I wonder…"

"…How fun it would be to tease her?"

Haruhi's palm went up, stopping the two Hiitachin heirs before they suggested anything more. "Don't."

"Awww Haruhiiii!"

"No, she seems like she's nervous enough. No need to inflict the two of you on her, the poor thing."

Indeed, even though it had only been one day, Haruhi could see that the Sohma girl was clearly outside of her element in 2-A. She didn't say much, and kept her head bowed for most of their lessons. But whenever a teacher did happen to call on her, she stammered and blushed so profusely that the teacher would feel bad and move on. It seemed that Sohma-san didn't know many of the answers anyways.

After class was over, she had packed up her bag and was out the door before anyone could even approach her. No one had seen her during lunch either. She didn't eat in the cafeteria, nor did she stay in the classroom like Haruhi normally would. When Haruhi and the twins left 2-A for the library, all their classmates were abuzz with curiosity about the new student.

As the twins hovered in the background, bemoaning Haruhi's inability to just _have a little fun_, Haruhi wondered to herself how the next few days would go for Sohma Kana.

##

**A/N:** Chapter one finished!

I feel that Momiji is a very sensitive boy. He feels things very deeply, and is very aware of the people around him. I also think his parts are a little...simpler...in writing style than Haruhi's. Haruhi seems to be the contemplative type, so her POV is a little more wordy than Momiji's. What do you all think?

Comments and constructive criticism would be most welcome. :) I'm a bit nervous because I've been away from fandom for so long…I really want to stay as in-character as I can. Also, one of my weak points from my last Furuba/Ouran crossover was my excessive use of Japanese in my writing. A lot of it was distracting, and slightly unnatural.

This time, I've been limiting the Japanese to places where I feel that a reaction a character has would be distinctly…well, Japanese. Little phrases like "Ano", "Ne", "Mou"…they have direct English translations, but it's quite hard for those translations to fit the atmosphere I imagine in my head. It was hard to find a proper equivalent to what I thought the character would say, in English.

Maybe it's because I tend to speak in some weird English-Japanese hybrid with my friends, many of whom are Japanese? And my speech is also littered with these tiny little reactive Japanese phrases. I've grown used to it, I'm afraid.

But I don't want my bad habits getting in the way of the story! If you guys feel that this is distracting, please let me know.

Thanks for reading everyone. :)


	3. Two: Of Dust and Memory

**A/N:** Mm, since someone has already asked this, I might as well just point it out here…yes, Sohma Kana is meant to be Honda Tohru. :) I guess I don't want that bit to be confusing for readers, nor do I want it to be too obvious from the beginning. The point of this story is not for you guys to guess who Sohma Kana really is, but rather to see how her double identity has affected everyone involved. I hope it works out! I've never really written a story like this, I think.

By the way, thank you KaUiA and Misa.D for your lovely reviews! Your words of encouragement are really helping me out as I struggle through the writing process!

As a side note…ff . net has really changed since I last posted writing! You can reply to individual reviews now ~ crazy! I feel bad for all my old reviewers in past stories whose questions I never really answered (especially after the story was completed). I will try my best now to reply to my reviewers! If you guys have questions or concerns, please write to me. :)

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**Chapter Two: Of Dust and Memory**

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Haruhi thanked whatever higher authority existed in the universe that the twins didn't follow her to the library today. Only three days into the new term, and already there was a major research report assigned! Whatever time she was given alone to search the shelves for a good Japanese historical figure to write about was time she would take with a grateful heart. The fact that the twins had a habit of procrastinating on their assignments up till the very last minute helped too. She had at least one week of quiet bliss amongst the stacks before they'd start whining at her to help them figure out what they should have days earlier.

With a sigh of contentment, Haruhi took her time wandering down the section of bookcases with all the Japanese history texts. She didn't have any figure in mind yet, but thought that maybe a book would pop out at her as she walked. Even the noise coming from the "study" areas in the distance couldn't irritate her, as she let the layers of dust, age, and old paper smell fall upon her like a protective blanket against the storm.

Wait.

Haruhi cocked her head, stopping in her tracks. What was that sound?

"There's so many…I don't know…what should I do…"

It was a girl's voice, closer than the buzzing sounds of the socializing students in the study areas – just one aisle over. She sounded a bit distressed. Who could it be though? Even with big assignments like the research report, Haruhi rarely encountered someone in the stacks at the same time as her. The library was so large, after all.

The resident scholarship student reached the end of the aisle, and took a sharp left to peer into the aisle next door. If it were a regular at the host club, she'd prefer to wait till hosting time to handle the girl's chatter. Not that Haruhi had anything against the girls she met at the host club. Most of them were pleasant to talk to, and very supportive of her circumstances. But they were a handful, and their exuberance sometimes gave her a headache if she spent too long in their company.

"Ah…" Haruhi blinked. It wasn't a host club participant.

Sohma Kana stood facing a long row of books, biting her lip and worrying the cuff of her uniform with small fingers, clean and paint-free unlike the many other Ouran females. She looked a little agitated, and kept turning her head from side to side to look at all of the texts on the shelf. Haruhi watched her lift a hand to touch the binding of one, before taking her hand back and hesitantly touching another.

"Maybe this one? Or, oh, I don't know…this one?"

She did this a few more times, muttering under a breath, before Haruhi decided to step in.

"Ano, Sohma-san?"

"Waa!"

Haruhi jerked in surprise as the girl in question jumped away from the bookcase with a yelp, stumbling backwards. Clouds of dust burst from where she had previously been perusing the shelf. For a moment, the only sounds came from the two girls, both coughing and waving their hands in front of their faces to clear the air.

"S-Sorry," Haruhi managed to wheeze after a minute, "I didn't mean to startle you. Are you alright?"

"O-Oh!" Sohma-san waved her hand in front of her face a few more times; her cheeks were a light pink. "So sorry, I didn't mean to – there's so much dust…" She tucked a thin strand of chestnut brown hair behind her ear, and finally looked at Haruhi.

"Ano," the light of recognition sparked on her features, "you're from my class?"

Haruhi smiled at her. "Yes, that's right. I'm Fujioka Haruhi. You're the new transfer student, Sohma Kana, right?"

For a second, Sohma-san simply stared at her. Then a flash seemed to go off in her head, and she held a hand up to her cheek. "Oh, yes! Yes, that's…that's me!"

The pause in the transfer student's answer was strange. But before Haruhi could think much more of it, Sohma-san laughed, her eyes crinkling up in a smile, "Sorry, I was confused for a minute there. I'm still…getting used to things, I think. It's nice to officially meet you, Fujioka-san."

It was the first time Haruhi had seen her smile since her trembling one on the first day of school. To be honest, ever since her introduction, Haruhi had paid little attention to the girl. She didn't seem to interact much with the rest of the class, and always disappeared over the lunch break. This was Haruhi's first actual conversation with her.

"Ah, you as well, Sohma-san."

"Oh, please," Sohma Kana clasped her hands in front of her, still smiling, "call me Kana. It would help me get used to it, I think."

Haruhi frowned in confusion, "I'm sorry?"

Kana laughed, "Ah! So sorry! I should explain, shouldn't I?" She scratched her cheek thoughtfully. "Um…well, Hatori-san told me my name when I woke up in the hospital. But I can't remember many things it seems, so he said it might take me a little while to get used to it. Something like that? Ehehe~"

Haruhi blinked, trying to process what Kana just said. "…You were in the hospital recently?"

"Oh yes, I woke up a month ago! Hatori-san said I was out for quite awhile. But he's been so kind, helping me adjust."

"I see…"

Truthfully, Haruhi didn't see at all. But she didn't want to pry – hospitals and things like forgotten names seems like a serious matter to her. Perhaps Kana was simply trying to avoid the subject by giving half-answers.

Instead, the scholarship student changed the subject. Looking around at the books, she asked, "Were you looking for something in particular here Kana? I noticed you seemed troubled when I came by."

Kana glanced at the bookcase as well. She bit her lip. "Ah…yes, well, I was just looking for a topic. For the research paper we were assigned today."

"Oh, was that it? Me too. I was in the aisle next to you." Haruhi moved to stand next to the new girl, looking at the books as well, "Did you decide on who you want to write about?"

Kana frowned, a little fretfully. "No…it's a little difficult choosing just one person. And there's so many books!"

"That's true. Well, we just started the Edo period this week…is there someone we've discussed that's caught your interest?"

"This week? Ah…" Kana let out an even larger sigh and laughed again, this time without her previous cheer, "I'm afraid I haven't been doing too well in school this week."

It was then that Haruhi noticed the bags underneath Kana's eyes. She smiled sympathetically. "It must be hard adjusting to a new school after the year has already started."

"Oh no, nothing like that." When Kana smiled, it was self-deprecating. "Everyone at Ouran has been so nice to me. I feel awful that I haven't been able to get to know my classmates at all. It's just that…well, I'm just not very bright, I think. I was supposed to be a third-year, but when I took the placement test to transfer in to Ouran, I only managed to enter second-year! And even then, classes…"

"…Are difficult?" Haruhi asked gently, when Kana didn't continue.

The transfer nodded. If she were a puppy, her ears would have been hanging low.

She whispered, "I even study during lunch breaks. But it's so hard to find a place where it's quiet…and I have trouble concentrating when everyone is having so much fun around me."

Ah, that would explain why no one ever saw her at lunch.

Though bright and carefree just a few minutes ago, at the moment the Sohma girl looked so dejected that Haruhi couldn't help feeling sorry for her. It was clear that she was trying her best.

Not knowing what to do, Haruhi tried asking more questions, "Have you spoken to our teachers about this? Or, maybe a tutor?"

Kana's head shot up in distress, "Oh no, I couldn't! I couldn't possibly trouble others because of me!"

"Ah, you wouldn't…I mean, that's their job, isn't it? I'm sure our teachers would want to know if you're having trouble understanding the material."

"No, no, this is my battle! I just have to work harder, I know it!" Kana's eyebrows furrowed in determination, her fist clenched in front of her. "I just have to graduate high school, that's all. That's my goal!"

Haruhi was surprised. "No college?" Most everyone at Ouran went on to college. They could afford it after all, and almost everyone at Ouran was an heir, to some degree, to family businesses that would require them to go into further studies after high school.

Kana shook her head. "No, I don't think I'm made for college. I just need to graduate high school. That's really important to me…I think."

Again, there was that feeling that Haruhi shouldn't pry. Kana's eyes had a distant look to them. Her gaze was directed towards the books in front of her, but she didn't seem to be seeing them.

Haruhi thought for a moment.

"Kana," she began, breaking the girl out of her reverie, "what if I helped?"

"Eh? Help?"

Haruhi grinned. "I usually eat lunch in the classroom. If you want, we could eat together, and I can answer any questions you have."

"Oh no, Fujioka-san, that's so much trouble!"

"I told you, just call me Haruhi. And it's no trouble at all. The twins eat in the cafeteria, so it would be nice to have company for a change." The commoner chose not to mention that the twins asked her to eat with them constantly, but she always refused. Lunchtime was another one of her brief respites among the craziness that was her Ouran life. But helping Kana shouldn't be nearly as draining as catering to Hikaru and Kaoru.

"The twins…?" Kana cocked her head. "Oh! You mean Hiitachin-san?"

"Yeah. You know their names?"

Kana blushed a bright red, looking down shyly. "One of them has orange hair. It's…pretty."

"Oh, that would be Kaoru. I think it's more of an auburn color but…you like it?" Haruhi smiled. "You should come visit the host club after school some time. Hikaru, Kaoru and I all host there. You could designate him if you want." Privately, she wondered what the twins would do if someone designated just one of them, rather than the package deal. It hasn't happened before, but there was a first for everything, right?

Kana's eyes widened. She stared right at Haruhi. "Eh? Fujioka-san-"

"Haruhi."

"A-Ah…ano…Haruhi…you host? But aren't you…?"

Haruhi guessed what Kana was trying to ask.

"…Female?" The commoner chuckled. "Yeah, I am. It's a long story."

"…I see…" Kana replied, even though she clearly didn't.

Laughing, Haruhi shook her head. "Maa, I will tell you some other time. Maybe during lunch tomorrow?"

"Oh, but…"

The scholarship student interrupted her, "It wouldn't be any trouble, I promise. It would be nice to eat with a friend. We're friends now, right?"

Haruhi turned her head to look directly at Kana.

At first, Kana simply stared at her in wonder. Then, slowly, a brilliant smile lit up the Sohma girl's entire face. It was so bright, Haruhi felt as if she were standing in warm sunlight.

"Okay! Jaa, I'm really looking forward to it, Haruhi-san!"

Kana looked so happy, that Haruhi didn't bother telling her to drop the honorific.

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'_DO IT, HATORI! ERASE IT!'_

'_YOU __STUPID__ WOMAN! HOW DARE YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF MY EQUAL!'_

'_KYO IS __MINE__. HE __BELONGS__ TO ME. YOU ARE __NOTHING__ TO US.'_

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"Momiji, why are you here? You know Akito won't like it if he finds out."

"Haru visited you, didn't he? I wanted to see Yuki too!"

"…I didn't approve of him visiting either."

"Yuki…" Momiji tilted his head where he sat on the bare tatami floor of Yuki's room, "…are you mad?"

It was just the two of them, Momiji and Yuki, sitting in the spacious room that Yuki had grown up in while at the Sohma main house. Momiji sat at the low table in the center of the space. A tea set sat in front of him. Yuki stood, staring out the open sliding door, overlooking a tranquil pond and one of the inner gardens. It was an idyllic living space – peaceful and quiet, like the rat himself.

But Yuki did not look happy. Momiji could tell.

As he stood facing the pond, the rat's eyes were restless. Dark circles stood out like ink splotches on a pale white sheet of paper. Though he had been thin before, he clearly had lost weight since the last time Momiji had seen him. He wore a plain cream-colored yukata that hung loosely on his shoulders.

Yuki turned to look at Momiji, his mouth set in a thin line.

"I just don't want anyone else to get hurt."

'_Akito can't hurt me anymore,' _is what Momiji wanted to say, _'I'm free.'_

Instead, Momiji smiled. His strong smile.

"I know. I'll leave soon."

At the rabbit's promise, Yuki looked outside at the garden one last time. He sighed deeply, his bony shoulders loosening. Finally, the rat came to sit down next to Momiji.

His voice was soft, as he looked down at the tea set. "Thank you, for coming to see me."

Though Yuki wasn't looking, Momiji smiled again. For real this time.

The two sat in relative silence for a few minutes. Yuki went about pouring them both cups of tea, and they spent some time enjoying the peace and quiet. Though it was warm outside – with fall only beginning – Momiji appreciated the hot porcelain cup that Yuki gave him. He wrapped his fingers around it, clutching the small dishware as if to absorb its warmth into his skin. Since he was first told that Tohru had disappeared, Momiji had been cold.

The young half-German broke the silence.

"Manabe-senpai and Sakuragi came looking for you on Monday."

"Oh…really? Did the principal not tell them?"

"No, apparently not. Sakuragi was hopping mad!" Momiji laughed. It was an empty sound. "I said hello to him in the hallway today, and he refused to look at me."

Yuki wore a troubled look. "I'm sorry Momiji, he shouldn't have done that. I should have…I could ha-"

"It's not your fault."

Yuki turned his face away, but Momiji could see his frustration anyway in his clenched fists, trembling on the table. Really, there wasn't anything that Yuki could have done though. He had been confined that day, without warning.

For a minute there was no sound other than the bubbling of the tiny fountain in the pond outside.

Finally, "Ne…Yuki?"

"Hai."

It wasn't a good time to ask this question…that was obvious. Yuki's right hand was still clenched, and his left was running through his messy gray hair. His dark circles were prominent. He was deliberately not looking at the young rabbit sitting next to him.

But Momiji wanted…no. _Needed_ to know. The fire of his need was the only thing keeping him from turning into ice.

Despite the burning sensation though, Momiji's voice was small.

"_Why_ did Akito do it?"

'_Why would he give Tohru to us, only to take her away?'_

Silence.

"…Yuki?"

The rat did not look at him. Not once. His voice was muffled against his shoulder, as he turned away from Momiji.

"Akito summoned her here. He only wanted to intimidate her, I think. But…she asked him that day. Tohru _asked_."

"Asked?" Momiji tried to urge Yuki on gently, even though the burning in his chest kept telling him go faster. Faster. Hurry, find out the truth. "Asked for what?"

Yuki's eyes met Momiji's then. "For Akito to let us go. To let the_ cat_…go."

This time it was Momiji's turn to go silent. He stared blankly at Yuki as the rat continued.

"She just _asked_! No consideration for herself, no thinking about the consequences. She _begged_ Akito. And Akito…was furious."

'_But…the curse is already breaking! She didn't have to ask. I'm free!'_

This was a big mistake. Momiji knew, because he was already free! He had meant to tell Tohru…he was free! The curse was breaking! Didn't she know?

Didn't she know that she didn't have to ask? That she could still be with everyone? That she wasn't alone?

He had to find her and tell her. The curse was disintegrating. And there was nothing Akito, nor the Sohma clan, could do about it.

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**A/N: **Man oh man was this chapter hard to write. My apologies for such a short Momiji section here…with all the drama, I felt that I shouldn't draw it out more than it already was. And the Haruhi/Kana part was so draining to write already!

I hope Kana's fascination with Kaoru's "orange" hair is recognizable.^^

For your information (in case it clarifies anything), this is all happening after Tohru had realized her feelings for Kyo (and vice versa). In particular, this was after Tohru burst in on Shigure and Rin discussing the curse breaking, and crying out that it had to be broken before spring. So Kyo wouldn't be confined.

I chose Momiji for the main point of view from the 'Furuba' side of things for a couple of reasons. One, he's free. He's more likely to seek the answers that the other Juunishi are too afraid to ask. Two, he loves Tohru. He knows she loves Kyo (though he doesn't know that she realized this herself and that's why she was so desperate to break the curse soon), but he can't help loving Tohru. Thus, his desire to find her, and his ability to do so, is much stronger than anyone in the Juunishi at the moment. Apart from Hatori, who doesn't count because he has regular contact with Tohru.

I didn't do an entire flashback of the day when Akito erased Tohru's memories, simply because I didn't feel that it was terribly necessary to the story. What do you think? Since I have this entire series (mostly) worked out in my head already, I feel that perhaps I may be blind to how it's read by you guys. If you're very confused at this point, please let me know!

P.S. I'm having trouble with my quotation marks these days. Forgive me for any grammatical misses. I can't seem to decide whether or not to stick to standards, or simply throw them out the window for dramatic effect. We'll see how this goes!


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